Finishing a long backlog of notes . . .
Bodegas la Serrana 2001 Bierzo Mencia Altos de Nunez, $6
The nose is dominated by barnyard but not unpleasantly so. On the palate, this is exceptionally tart, perhaps even tomatoey. The overall impression is that it’s a bit odd. Perhaps I let this sit too long; I liked earlier bottles better. At any rate, it’s much better with food than without and goes quite nicely with a Mexican-style salad. The next day, the barnyard is gone from the nose but the tartness — even sourness — continues and is out of balance with not much else showing up
Bodegas Riojanas 1999 Rioja Puerta Vieja Crianza, $12
This smells and tastes as though the winemaker was much too heavy-handed with the oak. I wonder if they changed their winemaking practices, as previous vintages of this bottling were much better and more balanced. Beyond the oak, there is decent red fruit, earth and spice with good acidity. Decent match with paella and shrimp. The next night, however, the oak seems more integrated, a bit better. Importer: Vintage Wines, Staten Island.